The War on Hooves

Part 16

He had no idea why he had done it, but he was glad that he did. He had gotten rid of the cougar that had plagued the mountains and threatened his family, and he had also done something unspeakable. He rescued the white mare and was leading her to safety.

She had her head low and was limping badly, but she would survive. Jake smiled to himself. She was beautiful when she was calm.

The mare trudged after him without question. He suspected that she was too exhausted and in too much pain to put up much of a fight.

Jake shook his black mane and stepped closer to the water that pooled in the middle of their territories. The clear gurgle was already present in the air. It was one of the most relaxing noises in the world.

Even if the mare was injured, Jake knew that he had to keep his guard up. She was strong enough to be a challenge even in her current condition. He sighed heavily. Why was he in her company?

The mare limped faster in order to come up beside him. Jake finally turned and inspected her closely. There was still fire in her large brown eyes, but she appeared grateful.

The pool of water was soon in view. It sparkled brightly under a blanket of stars and sang happily with the crickets and frogs. It was the same as every other summer, but somehow it felt different this time.

Jake lowered his head and pointed his nose at the water. "I'll keep watch as you clean your wound," he offered as gently as he could.

The mare stood frozen for a moment before finally nodding her head. She limped into the water and closed her eyes.

Jake smiled. The mare surprised him more and more. She was completely relaxed in front of him. He wondered if she thought she could overpower him if she wanted to. She did posses skills he had never seen before.

The mare washed herself off and dove completely under the water. Jake marvelled at the fact that she had no fear of anything.

Jake wondered what was going through her head in that moment. He wondered what kind of background she had that forced her to fight as well as she did. Any horse who was alone would have taken their chances and galloped away from a large cougar, but she stood up to it and fought brilliantly. Had he not stepped in, he had a feeling that she would have found a way out of her predicament.

Both the Black side and the Whites would be sleeping soundly. They would not be disturbed. The white mare had made sure that no one else would risk their lives. Jake smiled softly. He knew what the white mare had done. She had taken all of the grain that they had captured earlier. For a moment he wondered if she would have taken more if given the chance, but he quickly pushed the thought out of his head. She did not seem to be vindictive.

Emerging with water droplets hanging on her pure white hide, the mare sighed. She took her time getting out of the running pool. Her eyes were trained on Jake the entire time. It seemed as if she had gained energy in there, because for the first time since they killed the cougar, she was eyeing him warily.

"Why did you come to my rescue?" the mare asked softly.

Jake aimed his ears in her direction. "I'm not entirely sure myself," he admitted honestly. "I had orders to kill that cougar, and so helping you came along with that, I suppose."

The white mare shook her head. Her voice gained more authority. "I'm a White! You kind of betrayed your side, don't you think?"

The black stallion lowered his head and blew through his nostrils. He smiled through the darkness. There was no way she could make out his expressions in the thick of night. "This war is somewhat pointless, don't you think? We have sides, yes, but we are really in a battle for survival, and so if you think about it, helping another horse, regardless of their colour, is still remaining true to the law."